Domestic Violence Board Annual Report

Report: 14
Date: 12 July 2007
By: Chief Executive

Summary

This report updates members on the progress of the MPA Domestic Violence Board at the close of its first year, in advance of its presentation to all MPA members at Full Authority in July where it will seek agreement to continue its work for a further three years subject to annual review. The report also gives an indication of the content of the annual report currently being compiled.

A. Recommendations

1. That members note the report
2. That members give any feedback to inform the MPA Domestic Violence Board’s first annual report.

B. Supporting information

1. The MPA Domestic Violence Board was agreed by Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board and Co-ordination and Policing Committee in October and November 2005 respectively and held its first meeting on 5 April 2006.

2. It’s purpose is to “monitor, scrutinise and support the MPS in its performance and response to domestic violence.”

It also has an aim to “secure continuous improvement in the MPS’ response and disseminate best practice and innovation across the 32 Borough Operational Command Units.”

3. The Board enables the MPA to meet recommendations made by the Mayor’s Second London Domestic Violence Strategy.

4. Membership of the Board is made up of MPA members together with specialists within other statutory organisations in London including:

• Chief Crown Prosecutor for London, Domestic Violence Champion, London Criminal Justice Board
• Mayor’s Adviser on Women and Women’s Issues, GLA
• Greater London Domestic Violence Project, co-ordinating the Mayor’s Second London Domestic Violence Strategy
• London Councils
• Government Office for London
• Home Office Expert Panel on Domestic Violence

Community organisations from across London are also invited to take part in each meeting. These include organisations working pan-London in addition to those working within the boroughs where the relevant BOCU is attending the Board. They also include organisations working within the field of domestic violence and who specialise further, for example on an equality issue.

3. The Board also had a series of objectives for 2006/07:

• To scrutinise and monitor the activities of central MPS directorates and 6 BOCUs in relation to domestic violence by June 2007.
• To make a series of recommendations for improvement that will lead to increased performance in sanction detection rates, victim and witness care and community engagement by BOCUs.
• To liaise with community and voluntary groups and to make recommendations to Government on improving women's and children's safety in relation to domestic violence.
• To scrutinise and monitor MPS involvement in Project Umbra, commissioned by the London Criminal Justice Board (chaired by AC Tim Godwin over the next two years) and designed to improve London's response to domestic violence.

4. The Board has met four times since its inception:

• 5 April 2006
• 19 September 2006
• 6 February 2007
• 12 June 2007

5. Six Borough Operational Command Units have attended the Board to present their response to domestic violence locally:

• Havering
• Croydon
• Tower Hamlets
• Brent
• Hammersmith and Fulham
• Sutton

In addition to that, in line with the Board’s objectives, two policy areas were also presented by the MPS Violent Crime Directorate Operational Command Unit and discussed:

• Domestic violence-specific training within the MPS
• Potential conflict between the MPS Standard Operating Procedures on investigation of domestic violence, rape and sexual offences, and child abuse.

6. An annual report is currently being written to reflect the work of the Domestic Violence Board in detail during its first year in order to “disseminate best practice and innovation”.

7. Agreement to the proposal for the Board was conditional on the basis that it reports back to members one year on and to seek agreement for any further work. The MPA’s Business Management Group requested that the Board be tabled at Full Authority and consequently the Board is an agenda item at Full Authority on 26 July 2007 where the completed annual report will be discussed. At that meeting it will be proposed that members give approval to the Board for a further 3 years, subject to annual review.

8. In order to inform the annual report and the proposal to Full Authority, questionnaires were sent to everyone who has taken part in the Board over the course of the year whether member agency, police officer presenting or attending the Board, or community organisation representative. The purpose of the questionnaire was to seek views on the Board and its effectiveness. We received 14 responses from a range of Board member agencies, voluntary organisations and police officer colleagues. Their views include detail on why the Board is important, what is working well, possible improvements and recommendations to the MPA as a monitor of MPS performance, and to government setting national policy on domestic violence. Further information will be included in the annual report.

9. The annual report will also highlight areas of good practice presented by the BOCUs which attended the Board. These include:

• Response vehicles dedicated to domestic violence investigation as part of core response resources.
• Weekly positive action days to track down perpetrators
• Use of digital camera technology including laptops and photo printers, enabling fast transfer of high quality colour photographic evidence to support prosecutions not supported by the individual
• Use of head camera technology to record real time evidence of attending the incident to supplement other evidence and to support the case where the individual does not support the prosecution
• Dip sampling of cautions decisions on a regular basis to ensure appropriate decision making
• Multi-agency case reviews in those cases where risk is considered high
• Using BOCU and MPA Partnership funding to fund local Independent Domestic Violence Advocacy schemes

10. There have also been a series of issues which the Board has raised and which the MPS have responded to positively including:

• The Crime Recording Information System database now has a ‘flag’ to denote cases of LGBT domestic violence
• A draft MPS employee domestic violence policy focusing on survivors has been developed
• Exploring the possibility of ensuring that domestic violence training is mandatory for Witness Care Unit staff

11. In addition to sharing information on initiatives, schemes and practice that members of the Board believe are progressive in tackling domestic violence effectively, there have been a number of issues which have caused the Board members some concern and which are likely to characterise any future discussions including:

• MPS performance data available on domestic violence – the Board commissioned an ‘end-to-end’ review‘ to capture a snapshot of data not readily available from MPS information systems
• High proportion of cautions to charges making up the sanction detection rate
• Dual arrests – where both individuals are arrested following police attending the incident
• Independent evaluation of the Form 124D, completed following all domestic violence incidents
• Proportionality of domestic violence homicide victims on the grounds of ethnicity
• The equality and diversity dimension of the response to domestic violence
• Impact of changes to the MPS call handling processes on the immediate response to domestic violence incidents
• The use of Safer Neighbourhood Teams in responding to domestic violence

12. All MPA members will receive a copy of the annual report in advance of the Full Authority meeting in July.

C. Race and equality impact

All equality and diversity information has been incorporated within this report.

D. Financial implications

None

E. Background papers

• Minutes and reports of the Board

F. Contact details

Report author: Hamida Ali, MPA

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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